Cake met bietjes!

Vorige week op een verjaardag had iemand cake met gember en bieten gemaakt. Klinkt een beetje vreemd, toch? Natuurlijk ben ik gaan proeven en het bleek een heerlijke combinatie te zijn! Ik krijg nu net het recept toegestuurd en dat deel ik graag met jullie. De website waar dit recept vandaan komt is (natuurlijk) Engels en er staan nog veel meer originele (bieten)recepten op. Kijk maar op Abel and Cole

Dark Chocolate Ginger Beetroot Cake

A Shropshire-based beetroot grower once invited me for tea and offered me a slice of chocolate beetroot cake, alongside beetroot sorbet and other beet treats. This is my take on the cake. It's a fabulous way to use up your roots, and the beetroot is not there as a gimmicky ingredient. It lends a lovely moistness, an earthy sweetness and a rich, ruby tinge. Serves 8.

• 200g beetroot 125g plain flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• Pinch of sea salt, crushed finely 
• 150g caster sugar 
• 200g unsalted butter, at room temperature 
• 1 tsp ground ginger 
• 3 whole eggs 
• 150g dark chocolate, finely grated 
• Crème fraiche to serve

First, cook your beetroot. Put in a pot, cover with water and boil for 1 hour, or until tender enough to pierce right through with a fork. Peel, brushing the skin off with your fingers while holding the beets under a lightly running tap. Roughly chop and puree in a food processor until smooth. 

Preheat the oven to 190C. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with the butter and the sugar until pale and creamy. Whisk the whites until stiff and meringue-like. Gently fold the yolk mix to the flour. Then, fold the whites in 1/3 at a time. Gently stir in the beet puree, chocolate and ginger. 

Grease an 18.5cm (7in) cake tin with butter, dust with enough flour to coat - or line with parchment paper. Add the cake mix. Bake for 50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. It will be fairly moist, almost fudgy in the middle. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then turn our and cool on a rack. Serve with crème fraiche.